Trip Report

We left Sandy at 5:00AM. After losing about 15 minutes navigating around pre closed parade routes (Labor Day) early morning in Payson we finally made our way up Payson Canyon (Nebo Loop). While driving up the canyon watch for a sign on your right called “Monument Trail Head”. Turn there then immediately turn right again onto a dirt road called “Mona Pole Road”. Continue about a mile, you’ll see the trailhead clearly marked on your left. We arrived at the trail head about 7:00AM.

We saw a nice early morning view of our destination from the trail head as the sun was rising in the East.

We hit the trail at 7:10AM; it gains and loses elevation gently for the first mile or so. Then the trail climbs fairly steady for a bit till you reach the first main ridge and can look down on Utah Valley below to your West. Mount Nebo also comes into view again at this point. Like most other prominent peaks it looks intimidating from this view far away. The trail levels out somewhat as it traverses the West side of North Peak and continues in a Southerly direction.

We then arrived at Wolf Pass, had a snack, and climbed the steep trail up the sub peak. From the sub peak stay mostly on the ridge as you traverse the saddle. As we started climbing the peak itself the path becomes obvious. There is a descent amount of falling exposure but nothing extreme. On previous SP trip reports/routes I read anywhere from class 3 to class 2. I would rate it at a 2+ or 3-; it’s steep but not overly technical.

We then reached the summit and were greeted with great views a clear day on the Wasatch Range usually provides. This summit offers yet another perspective of the Wasatch Range that we found exciting to the eye and lens. A little different from the Central Wasatch.

View of Utah Lake from the summit.

Here is a good view of the Nebo Loop Highway with the parking lot and Trail Head (in the center of the photo) seen from the summit of Nebo.

After enjoying some lunch and photo opportunities we scrambled back down the peak, across the saddle, up to the sub peak, and down the main trail.

A cool tree on the way down the trail looked like it was overtaken by lightning. The top of the tree was lying at the bottom of the steep cliff below.